Speculation is growing about who will lead the country’s new super crime fighting unit.

The Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation is end result of an amalgamation of the Scorpions and the South African Police Service's Organised Crime Unit.

Safety Minister Nathi Mthethwa was due to announce the new unit's head by Tuesday but delayed the announcement for a further three weeks.

Mthethwa said he has already identified the person he wants to run the new unit but is ensuring the person has impeccable credentials before making a public pronouncement.

Several sources within the police and the Scorpions have told Eyewitness News the head of the National Prosecuting Authority's Special Investigating Unit, Willie Hofmeyr, is pushing hard for the job.

Hofmeyr served as an African National Congress member of parliament for several years before becoming a deputy director in the NPA.

Senior police officials however are suggesting that Mthethwa is unlikely to appoint someone aligned to the Scorpions and is looking at provincial police commissioners who are nearing the end of their contracts.

While the minister is focusing on impeccable credentials, he may decide to appoint someone who is perceived as entirely independent and comes with neither the baggage of the SAPS nor the Scorpions.

Eyewitness News

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